Motherhood, it changes you.

While there’s a whole list that involves sagging and wrinkled, exhausted and emotional that can be wrapped in there, for many women becoming a Mom takes life to a whole other level.

It brings out our genuine loves, forces them into places creatively and personally that reveal talents and ingenuity unrealized until that point.

It inspires.

Moms see a need and create the solution.

So, this May we celebrate the genius of Comox Valley women who turn the lessons of parenthood into a resource for the community.

We celebrate local mom entrepreneurs.

Name: Louisa McClellan
Age: 39 and holding
Business: Usborne Book Consultant and owner of Ashberry Farm, 3210 Royston Road
Town: Royston

Tell us a bit about your work: I love reading to my kids and I love good books. Before I had children, I used Usborne books when I taught ESL and now I read them to and with my kids.

My work involves helping my customers plan and host successful Home Parties. At the Home Party I share how important books, reading and literacy are and I show samples of my books. Guests then have the chance to peruse the catalouge, my samples and order books if they wish. The hostess benefits by receiving free and discounted books.

The problem is usually that there are too many good books to buy! I also spend a lot of time on the phone and computer, mostly after my kids go to bed. (It is also part of my job to encourage others to consider becoming a book consultant too.)

We lived overseas for years. One of my friends sold Usborne books and I always said I would do it when I moved back to Canada.

I love the books. They are beautiful, informative and kids love them. Parents love them. Usborne books make both reading and learning fun. Usborne books engage children and make them curious about the world around them. Children willingly learn, create and explore as they dive into jigsaw books, puzzle books, touchy-feely books, story books, non fiction books, sticker books, art and project books, cookbooks, animal books and Internet-linked books, to name just a few.

As a consultant I can justify the money I spend on books by earning them on the job. I am a new Usborne Book Consultant but a long time customer! In addition start up costs were minimal and I can work from home.

Time. My husband and I also run a berry farm, and there is ALWAYS other work to be done.

Farm work starts about the end of February and goes to early fall. We have the late fall and winter “off”. I hope to use the fall and winter season to promote my book business and have the most parties. In addition, I homeschool my kids, sporadically.

Living on a farm has meant that a lot of “lessons” occur on the job. Like most mothers I always feel guilty when I have to work. Fortunately my kids are getting older and help a lot around the farm – even if they are just “hanging” out with us while we work.

When I need to work with Usborne it can get tricky – kids always want attention when Mom is on the phone! Luckily most of my customers are parents, and understand! On the flip side my kids love Usborne books and when others see them engrossed in books it helps me!

I never know what to do with myself when I am by myself…..I’m always so busy with family (husband and 3 boys), farm and life! I do love a good cup of coffee with a book though.

The books speak for themselves.

A customer that is happy with her books helps me by hosting a party and sharing the books with her friends. So I guess I’d have to say my favourite tool is a satisfied customer. This goes for strawberries too!

Sales is hard.

I find it hard to find a balance between showing how passionate I am about these books and feeling like I am pressuring people to have a Home Party or buy some books. I have a new found respect for all sales people as I realize how much training, research and courage goes into their jobs.

You can’t please everyone. I think my mantra is going to be “The customer isn’t always right, but they are always a customer.”

Usborne is very organized. I have direct supervisors whom I can always call. They are incredibly knowledgeable, encouraging and helpful. Usborne Canada also has a fabulous website full of training materials and message forums.

Usborne books is my fun job to pay for my addiction to books; my strawberry farm is my work! At this point I am going to answer as a farmer AND a book lady.

During our busy season I have felt like I am missing out with my kids – after 18 hours a day of strawberries, customers, employees, irrigation, organization and planning to do it all again the next day I haven’t had time to read or even talk to them.

My babysitter was with the kids in the garden, house and sandbox and I worked in the fields and shop, so it felt like something was wrong with the picture. For this reason we have made some changes in our employee structure this year – we have hired a farm labourer and will use a babysitter less (certainly as my youngest 2 1/2 gets older) and my husband and I will take turns spending more time with the kids during busy times.

We, like other working parents, did not have a choice in how we ran our business at the start. We had to learn how to farm, what had to be done and how to do it, otherwise we would not be able to manage our future employees effectively.

We did what we had to do, but now we are making changes. Ask me in November if there was a difference.

I’d like to have one home show a week and to provide enough strawberries to keep everyone in the Comox Valley satisfied!

It’s easy to sell something you are passionate about. If you are passionate about something it’s not work. Find your passion and see if there is a way to share.

My job as a book consultant is not a huge money maker. However, I love the fact that I can share something I love and meet a lot of cool people at the same time. My business success with Usborne Books is directly related to the number of hours I invest, and I like that.

Farming is something we have become passionate about, we love our farm and we love working on our own land, but it can be exhausting! Having reliable childcare is definately worth investing in.

I wish there was a Mom Bulletin Board, preferably online, where we could share our home businesses.

I have struggled finding leads to introduce my business to as my circle of friends is fairly small, especially as my kids don’t go to school, I am new to the valley (back for 2 years but I grew up here) and I am busy on the farm and with my family.

You found that niche and are filling it now. I am sure there are other mom’s out there whose business I could utilize.

Enjoyparenting.com
My yahoo mailbox to read my various daily emails